ETS: Bruegel publishes study assessing impact of ETS

A study published by think tank Bruegel in July 2011 suggests that the move from the first phase (2005-2007) of the EU Emission Trading Scheme (ETSi) to the second phase (2008-2012) had an impact on the emission reductions carried out by firms. Using panel data on the emissions and performance of more than 2000 European firms from 2005 to 2008, it also found that EU ETS had a modest impact on the participating companies’ performance, and thus concludes that “a full auctioning system could help to reduce emissions but could also have a negative impact on the profits of participating companies”.